Nuno’s influence could reignite Afobe’s form at Wolves

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Benik Afobe finally returned to scoring form last night for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Last night Wolverhampton Wanderers fans got what they wanted in more ways than one, as not only did they pick up a convincing victory over Leeds United, but they also saw striker Benik Afobe score for the first time since returning to the club back in January.

The 25-year-old has made no secret of the fact he has missed a few key chances over the last few weeks, and it seemed all he needed was one goal to really get him going. That came at Elland Road as he chipped the ball beautifully over the ‘keeper and into the back of the net.

Afobe’s career had been on something of a downward trajectory for a while but, as reported by Sky Sports, the mentality of manager Nuno Espirito Santo is clearly something that is paying off.

“Good for him,” Nuno said. “He’s improving, and it was a good goal. It’s good for him, and it’s good for the team. Always, the team is above everything.”

When Afobe initially left Wolves for Bournemouth in search of top flight football, it was clear he was doing what he felt was best for his career at that stage. He was young, had been on a great run of form, and wanted to see if he could make it at the highest level.

The frustrating thing for Wolves fans was that, had he stayed, he would have been able to further develop as a forward in a system he was extremely successful in. The move down south felt incredibly rushed and, under Eddie Howe, it felt like Afobe was playing under a manager who was not able to get the best out of his passion for the game.

Fast forward to the present day, and the teachings of Nuno Espirito Santo are clearly starting to do wonders for his confidence. Afobe himself even stated in his post-match interview on the pitch that it was all about the team as a whole, and when you have got a man in charge who is able to take the ego out of this game and make it about the club’s end goal, you are on to a winner.

Nuno has shown phenomenal resilience whenever it has looked as if Wolves were hitting a patch of bad form this season, and that is starting to rub off on the likes of Afobe, who remained calm in the face of an unlucky spell in front of goal when it would have been easy to give up.